The BEST homemade french bread recipe made in just 90 minutes! So easy to make and comes out golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and chewy on the inside.
Homemade bread is one of my favorite things to make. It can seem a bit intimidating at first, but this easy french bread recipe is a great place to start. It has a quick rising time and takes only 90 minutes from start to finish. If you’re a beginner to bread baking, make sure to check out my 3 ingredient artisan bread and my 45-minute breadsticks. Both are so simple along with my favorite dinner rolls and french bread rolls!
Easiest French Bread Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy french bread recipe, this is it! You’ll have 2 beautiful loaves in 90 minutes. The actual time you’ll be working will only be about 15 minutes, the rest of the time will be patiently waiting for the dough to rest/rise. This homemade french bread is golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and slightly chewy on the inside. We love to serve it with a bowl of warm soup and the first time I made it, my husband said “this bread is SO good, where did you get it?” He thought I picked it up from our local bakery. It is just that good and really so easy to make. You’ll never want to buy store bought french bread again.
I absolutely love making bread and rolls of all kinds. There’s something so satisfying about making them in your own kitchen. The smell is unbelievable. We love to serve this homemade french bread with softened butter, honey and/or strawberry jam. So so good. Trust me when I say, this is the best french bread recipe!
How To Make Homemade French Bread
- Proof the yeast. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until it has begin to foam.
- Mix and let rest. Place 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt. Stir in the yeast mixture and begin to knead by hand or using a dough hook and stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour at a time until the dough is smooth but not sticky. Rub the olive oil around the dough ball and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape and let rise again. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll one half into a rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf.
- Bake in oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Brush the top of the homemade french bread with melted butter if desired. Slice and enjoy! :)
Baking Tips
- The key to the perfect consistency is to knead in flour a little at a time, until the dough becomes soft and not sticky.
- If using a bread dough hook to knead the dough, knead the last couple of minutes by hand.
- Let the dough rest a minute during the mixing process (this allows the gluten to relax).
- Let the dough rise in a warm spot by the window or on top of the stove.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and then press down with your finger tips to remove any air pockets.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and any extra bubbles.
- Roll the dough into a loaf and then make sure to tuck the ends under and pinch all the seams together tightly to create a nice seal.
- For a crispier/shinier crust, brush on egg wash (1 egg white (whisked) with a teaspoon of water) before baking.
- For a softer and more flavorful crust, brush with melted butter right when it comes out of the oven.
Favorite Ways To Enjoy
- Top with butter, garlic herb butter, honey, cinnamon butter, jam or apple butter
- Dip in olive oil bread dip as an appetizer
- Use it to make classic bruschetta or bruschetta caprese
- Serve with all types of soup, like lasagna soup, corn chowder and hearty vegetable soup
- My family loves to make french bread pizza, stuffed french bread or garlic bread
- We also like to make spaghetti boats using leftovers of my easy spaghetti recipe.
- Make a french dip sandwich
- Once it’s a few days old, make french bread french toast, bread pudding or croutons
- Cut into cubes and serve with this cold Knorr spinach dip.
Freezer Instructions
Since this recipe makes two loaves, sometimes we freeze one of them for later. To freeze, wrap the bread tightly in foil or saran wrap (make sure it has cooled completely). Then place in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More Homemade Bread Recipes To Try:
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Homemade French Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water , about 105°F
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 5 cups (650 g) all-purpose flour , or bread flour (add more as needed)
- 2 ½ teaspoons table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Melted salted butter , optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes, or until it begins to foam.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture on medium-low speed or by hand. Knead in 1/2 cup of the remaining flour in increments until the dough is smooth but not sticky (depending on climate you could use more or less than 5 cups). Add more flour as needed.
- Rub the olive oil around the dough ball, cover the bowl with a towel and let rest 15 to 30 minutes. If you have more time, let rise up to 1 hour.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and divide it in half. Set one half aside. Roll the other half into a rectangle (about 15 inches). Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder.
- Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Cover loaves lightly with a towel. Let rise 30 to 60 minutes (the longer the better, if you have the time).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake 17 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. When you knock on it, it should sound hollow. If it's browning too fast, lightly cover with foil and lower the temperature to 375°F.
- Brush the top with melted butter, if desired. Slice and serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Bread, Dairy-Free, Reader Favorites, Vegetarian, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Made this as is with nosubstitutions came out great!
So happy to hear of the French bread success!
Can I let the dough sit overnight in the fridge?
Yes you can, I’d just give an extra hour for rise time.
I’m going to try making the dough the night before also and let it rest in the fridge overnight. I was thinking of shaping the loaves cold the next morning and then letting them rise (with the extra hour as suggested) before baking. Does that sound right? Thanks!!
Yes, looking forward to hearing how it goes!
I love how these turned out! My husband I always make a big pot of white beans with these. My husband knows a great dinner is coming. Easy and simple.
I can’t believe I actually made good bread! I would swear someone stepped into my body and did this…great recipe!
I’m so glad you! We love how easy this french bread recipe is!
I make this recipe often. It is the perfect crisp exterior and soft center every time!
What a fantastic recipe! I was looking for a simple and tasty loaf of French Bread and here you had it. So Easy and straight forward to make. No fuss, great results. I have made it twice in the last two weeks. Thanks so much!!
Thanks so much for the review of the French bread! Am so glad it has been a hit and turned out great!
My husband and I really love this bread. So good.
Homemade French bread for the win! So glad you and your husband enjoy it!
Great recipe! Be careful with the time to rise though, it really needs that full hour or it’s really dense. But, if you’re short on time, doesn’t hurt to cut short. I am curious how long/at what temp to bake at to make 1 big loaf instead of 2 smaller ones
Have you tried making this recipe into rolls?
No, but I do make these French bread rolls instead!
Easy to mix, shape and bake. I put an egg wash on the loaves the last 15 minutes.
So glad you enjoyed the French bread!
Hi I want to bake this in loaf pans. would you recommend I modify the oven temperature and baking time?
I haven’t tested in loaf pans, I would probably, but I would probably do 375°F for about 20 minutes and watch closely after that. Let us know how it goes!
This was the most delicious bread ever
Thank you for the review!
Super easy to make! Nice and soft on the inside with a pleasantly crunchy outside! Loved it!
So happy to hear it turned out so well for you!
This bread is identical to the wonderful bread I adored as a child, in my hometown, many decades ago. Made it today for the first time and it almost brought tears to my eyes. This is not just bread, it is a memory. I would give you a million stars if I could. <3
This makes me so happy to hear this, I am glad you could enjoy it along with all the happy memories!
These are so yummy, thanks for Sharing.
So glad you enjoyed this!
This is my new go to bread recipe. I have made about 4 times now and my family can’t get enough. I use for sandwich meal prep and also to go with some soup made. I added cheese to the loafs for dinner tonight I hope they turn out just as great as the othere.
Thanks for the review! So happy that your family loves the recipe.
this was delicious!
Thanks for the review!
This was delicious. I only had time for two 30 minute rises, so it will be interesting to try again when I have more time. Everyone loved it!
So glad you enjoyed it!